Business Leaders - What’s the Last Thing a Team Member Taught You?
As a business leader or CEO, can you remember what the last thing was that you learnt from one of your team members?
There is a lot to be said about the power of a teacher offering as much respect to their students as they expect for themselves, which is the antithesis of how our society currently views the traditional ‘teacher/student’ relationship.
If we took a moment to contemplate this concept and how it could be applied in our roles as CEOs, founders, business leaders, entrepreneurs or executives and the role this concept has when it comes to creating a successful business, it has a lot of relevance.
Imagine if you could elevate the humility muscle inside you to truly believe that EVERY team member you have, has something to teach you. Not just once, but on an ongoing basis...
It doesn't mean they will be able to crank out a new strategy, reorganise the finances or company structure, deal with strategic partners as you can or might, nor is it about what their area of expertise is. It may simply be the way they go about a task, the way they research something, the questions they ask, their attitude in handling pressure or conflict or their alternate perspective.
Ultimately, there is often much more intelligence inside our organisations than we are using.
A "go to" resource we highly recommend that exemplifies this concept is ‘Multipliers: How the best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter’ by Liz Wiseman and it all begins with one simple question… Do you make those around you smarter?
In this must-read book, leadership expert Liz Wiseman and management consultant Greg McKeown explore two very different leadership styles, they define as ‘Multipliers’ and ‘Diminishers’.
The pair analysed data from over 150 leaders and identified five disciplines that distinguish the ‘Multipliers’ from the ‘Diminishers’. These five disciplines are skills and practices that everyone can learn to use… even lifelong and obstinate Diminishers.
We’ve all had experience with these two dramatically different types of leaders:
‘Diminishers’ these are the business leaders that drain the intelligence, energy, and capability from the ones around them and always need to be the smartest ones in the room. These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment.
The ‘Multipliers’ on the other end of the spectrum are the business leaders that know they are not the smartest person in the room, and that the best answers will come from outside themselves.
The ‘Multipliers’ use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them. When these types of leaders walk into a room, lightbulbs go off over people's heads, ideas flow, problems get solved and momentum is created.
These are the leaders who inspire employees to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations. These are the ‘Multipliers’, and the world needs more of them, especially now, when we are expected to do so much more with less.
We would like to propose a challenge to all the business leaders and CEO’s reading this. At the end of the week, take five minutes to reflect on what was the one thing you learnt from each of your team members. If you are super keen, you may also want to apply this exercise to your personal lives, including partners, children, and friends.
If you would like to go one step further, you can also download and take the free ‘30-Day Multipliers Challenge’ – this challenge can help you address the behaviours that diminish others and show you how to replace them with ‘Multiplier’ habits.
By taking this 30-Day challenge, you will begin to:
Tackle the blind spots that shut down others in your team and organisation
Ask the right questions to spark innovation
Invite a diverse perspective to your organisational decisions
Access your and your team’s full potential and become the leader your organisation needs
Give this a try. Not only will you discover some valuable insights, but it will also assist you in multiplying the capabilities of your people, build cohesion in your teams and organisation, and inspire your people to offer more. Imagine what could happen if they applied this to their team too!
At VGP we work with high performance, growth-focused leaders who want astute, strategic experience and support to take their business, their own leadership capability, and their leaders, to the next level WITHOUT THE PAIN.
If you would like more information on how Visage Growth Partners can help you in your journey of building an incredible business, contact us for a free growth assessment.